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Black Bean Garlic Tofu Nourish Bowl

40 min

Main

Hot or cold, this noodle bowl is delicious! The dressing is tangy and the black bean sauce is the perfect flavour combination for the veggies and crispy tofu.

Servings

Total

40 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Contains

Soy symbol

soy

Sesame symbol

sesame

Swap out

Gluten symbol

gluten

Free from

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Ingredients

Nourish bowl base

  • 9 oz (256 g)
    dry soba noodles
  • 1 tsp (5 mL)
    toasted sesame oil
  • 1½ cups (210 g)
    frozen shelled edamame

Black bean garlic tofu

  • 16 oz (450 g)
    firm tofu, pressed, cut into 1cm cubes
  • 2 Tbsp (16 g)
    cornstarch
  • ½ tsp
    salt
  • ¼ tsp
    ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    black bean garlic sauce

Veggies

  • 1
    head of bok choy
  • 5 cups (500 g)
    green beans, ends trimmed, chopped
  • 2
    roasted red bell peppers from a jar, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL)
    black bean garlic sauce

Sauce

Optional garnish

  • toasted sesame seeds
  • sliced green onion

Directions

  1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Toss with the sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Set aside.
  2. Add the edamame beans to a bowl and cover them with plenty of boiling water. Let it sit while the other ingredients are being prepared.
  3. Add the tofu to a bowl, and toss with the cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
  4. Add the oil to a large pan on high heat. When hot, cook the tofu in a single layer until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, slice the bok choy leaves and stems into bite-sized pieces. Keep the green leaves and white stems separated. Prep the green beans and bell pepper.
  6. Once the tofu is completely cooked, add the black bean garlic sauce and toss to coat. Transfer to a bowl.
  7. Return the pan to high heat and add the white bok choy stems and green beans, along with a very small splash (about 10 mL) of water. Cover and cook until softened, but still crunchy, about 3 minutes.
  8. Then add the bok choy leaves and the remaining black bean sauce. Cook until the leaves are wilted. Transfer to a bowl.
  9. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
  10. To assemble, place some of the cooled* noodles in a bowl. Top with the bell pepper, drained edamame, stir-fry mix, and tofu. Pour some sauce overtop, garnish, and enjoy!

Notes

  • * If you aren't a fan of cold noodles, simply reheat the noodles by soaking in boiling water just before serving.

Storage

  • Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Store the sauce separately from the other ingredients until ready to serve.

Let us know what you think

Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 46%

dry soba noodles

Proteins 17%

frozen shelled edamame

firm tofu

Fruits & Veggies 37%

head of bok choy

green beans

roasted red bell pepper from a jar

Calcium

firm tofu

Fat

toasted sesame oil

vegetable oil

toasted sesame oil

Nutrition info

We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.

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Discussion & Rating

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Kristina - March 1, 2024, 10:41 p.m.

Sooo easy to make and the „make“ feature is such a great tool. Loved the experience 💫

PUL Team - March 2, 2024, 4:24 a.m.

Yay! Thanks, Kristina - the "make" feature is one of our favourite tools on the app 🤗


Nova - Jan. 9, 2024, 8:47 p.m.

Great and simple recepie but the flavors were unfortunately not for me! ❤️ The dressing was too sour and i did not at all like the flavor of black bean sauce - maybe I had a different one than you? I added a lot of soy sauce, honey and hoisin sauce to the dressing to try to mask it! 🥲😂 But I blame it on my supermarkets version of black bean sauce haha.

PUL Team - Jan. 9, 2024, 11:01 p.m.

Hey there, Nova, the black bean sauce can indeed impact this bowl a lot. We recommend one with garlic to help balance out the flavours, and we use one that we like the taste of on it's own. We have found that this is also the case with our hoisin sauce - sometimes the taste between brands is overwhelming, and so we recommend using one that you like the flavour of before cooking with it. Glad you were able to add some seasoning to make it to your taste! In case it helps, we use a black bean garlic sauce from our local Asian grocery store as we find that one more flavourful than the version at our general grocery store 🤗


Nicole Mostofa - Jan. 8, 2024, 9:23 p.m.

It was tasty. Next time, I will omit salt on tofu OR not add the black bean sauce to tofu to reduce saltiness. I also like the cold sauce with less vinegar.


Alice - Dec. 10, 2023, 6:02 p.m.

Yeah, i nailed it !!
Hahah, on my visit at the asian store on my velib road i picked up the 'Sauce aux haricot de soja noir et ail', cause it looked good and was pretty natural and didnt have an idea what to do with it, and then , bang! Perusing your website at the hunt of less than 30 min autumnal dinners i found that this is exactly hte same sauce you're using, seeing the bottle !!
I'll make it this week, just a question : what seasonal vegetable i can substitute the edamame for ? Would pumpkin or cabbage work ?
Another one : i also wanted to make this https://www.pickuplimes.com/recipe/shoyu-butter-udon-noodles-1215 Back of the Church michelle featherstone but no mushroom sauce - would this black soy bean sauce work, same proportions ? You're awesome, thanks !

PUL Team - Dec. 11, 2023, 2:27 a.m.

Hey there, Alice, aw thanks for taking the time to share the review and your kindness with us 💛

For the Black Bean Garlic Tofu Nourish Bowl, you can substitute the edamame with any seasonal vegetables you'd like. We imagine cabbage would pair better with the flavours than pumpkin. For the Shoyu Butter Udon Noodles, the black soybean sauce could work as a substitute for mushroom sauce, but we'd recommend tasting and adjusting the noodles to taste if needed 😊


Laurie - Nov. 3, 2023, 2:14 a.m.

I’ve thrown away more than one vegan meal I thought was going to taste great—but ended up not at all to my liking (I am new to PUL, so I am not referring to any of your recipes). This one, on the other hand, was even better than I could have anticipated. Thank you! I was preping a non-vegan meal at the same time so the multiple steps tripped me up a bit (should have watched the video first). Even so this will be a “go-to” recipe for me.

PUL Team - Nov. 3, 2023, 9:19 a.m.

I'm thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out to be a hit for you, especially since you've had some disappointing experiences in the past. Thank you for giving it a try and for your kind words. I'm looking forward to the possibility of more of our recipes becoming favorites in your kitchen!


Glenda - Aug. 30, 2023, 5:56 p.m.

Lucky to have an Asian supermarket near me and added the BB garlic sauce to our rotation. They also have AH-amazing produce so grabbed bok choy sprouts. Wouldn’t not have combined jarred peppers in this, but happy to have a push towards unexpected ingredient combos - the colour and sweetness were spot on. Not a big fan of high carb noodles, so swapped for only a sprinkle of brown rice vermicelli. Loved how with a bit of prep, this one comes together in a snap. Delicious, filling and def making again.


Margi Dawson - Aug. 13, 2023, 9:01 p.m.

Made this last night! The tofu came out perfect and crispy. I subbed the black bean sauce (bc I didn't have any) with garlic sauce and used rice noodles instead too... Everyone loved it, including my non-vegan sister-in-law 🥰

PUL Team - Aug. 14, 2023, 3:05 a.m.

Ooo thanks for sharing your experience with the nourish bowl, Margi! So happy it was enjoyed ☺️


Karhy - June 24, 2023, 9:32 p.m.

Made this dish last night and we loved it! Healthy and tasty.


Emily Anne - April 12, 2023, 11:34 a.m.

I made this meal for the entire week, tripled the recipe, and it’s been perfect!! Love the vinegar dressing. I’m trying to incorporate more vegan dishes and this recipe will definitely be on repeat.

PUL Team - April 13, 2023, 12:22 a.m.

So happy to hear, Emily, thank you!


Diane - April 7, 2023, 12:07 a.m.

This is the second time I'm making this. My husband has always been a fan of black bean garlic sauce and this recipe is perfect. Lots of flavour and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing such flavourful recipes. (Vegan on Vancouver Island)

PUL Team - April 7, 2023, 10:54 p.m.

Aw we're so happy to hear, Diane, thank you! Lots of love to Vancouver Island 💛


Charissa - March 4, 2023, 6:17 p.m.

OMG this is sooooo good!! Went to the toko last week to buy al the ingredients. i made it with rice instead of noodles. Also a good combination.

PUL Team - March 5, 2023, 9:52 p.m.

Woohoo! So happy to hear, Charissa, thank you 🙂


maham - Dec. 14, 2022, 7:47 a.m.

Hi PUL team , i tried this recipe and it turned out great but i was thinking of may be marinating the tofu in black bean sauce for like a couple hours to get more depth of flavor next time i make this recipe. Any thoughts on this? I am relatively new in using tofu so I am not sure if its even a reasonable idea
.

PUL Team - Dec. 14, 2022, 4:27 p.m.

Hey Maham, welcome to the world of tofu! Marinating tofu is optional, but it can give it a soggier texture since tofu acts like a sponge and absorbs liquids. Pressing tofu well is essential for flavour depth (there are lots of helpful videos online!) as this will get rid of its water content, allowing room for the tofu to soak up flavours during cooking. We hope this helps for now 😃


Ashley - Aug. 13, 2022, 12:54 a.m.

It was great. Whole family loved it.


Cierra - July 21, 2022, 10:13 p.m.

Hi! any other veggies I could use instead of bok choy? As I am not a fan of it, Thanks!

PUL Team - July 22, 2022, 7:54 a.m.

Hey there, Cierra, certainly! Carrots, zucchini, spinach, another coloured bell pepper, or an alternative leafy green vegetable are some ideas 😃


Milica - May 11, 2022, 10:21 a.m.

A staple.


Amrita - Nov. 13, 2021, 7:14 p.m.

This was absolutely delicious and surprisingly easy to make! One bit of feedback, though: when you scale down the number of servings, the quantities in the ingredients list scale down correspondingly, but the quantities mentioned in the directions don't scale down (for example, the black bean garlic sauce in this recipe). I'm not sure if this is a problem across all recipes, or just this one, but I would assume it is not too difficult to fix!

PUL Team - Nov. 13, 2021, 11:49 p.m.

Hey Amrita, you're awesome, thanks so much for catching this and bringing it to our attention! We've updated the wording so that now it works regardless of scaling 😊 so glad you enjoyed the recipe as well! 🤗


Purva - Sept. 21, 2021, 12:46 a.m.

Sadia, I love your recipes! I have tried plenty of them and this one is my absolute go to and favorite. Being vegetarian, sometimes I struggle finding variety in my protein sources and this one is really great way to boost the protein intake. :)

While we are on that topic, I had a nutrition related question which I wanted to ask - I have come across so many articles saying that frequent consumption of tofu may interfere with the hormones in women. Since you are a nutritionist yourself, I thought you will be the best resource to clear my doubt whether consuming tofu twice or thrice a week is bad or safe thing?

PUL Team - Sept. 21, 2021, 2:53 a.m.

Thank you for the kind words and review, Purva! That's a very common question as well. We'd recommend checking out our article on soy (pickuplimes.com/article/soy-28) for more information on the topic if you haven't already seen it and are interested 🙂


Meg - July 25, 2021, 4:44 p.m.

I really enjoyed this dish, but it wasn't my husband's fav (he's not a fan of the vinegar level I think). Any idea on how to make it a little less vinegary? Otherwise, I'll just keep making it for myself. ;)

PUL Team - July 26, 2021, 8:03 p.m.

Hey there, Meg! Thanks for taking the time to share. We'd recommend using less rice vinegar to reduce the vinegar taste. You could also add a little baking soda, sugar, or baking powder to offset the vinegar taste 🙂


Ananya R - July 24, 2021, 8:31 p.m.

I love this dish because the different components come together so well, but can also be swapped out with other veggies/sauces/plant proteins & still be delicious! If you don’t have black bean garlic sauce, I’ve made this with hoisin sauce or even soy sauce & garlic and it’s still AMAZING!

PUL Team - July 26, 2021, 7:56 p.m.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe, Ananya, we're so glad the nourish bowl was enjoyed 😃


Venelin Pendev - July 18, 2021, 1:50 p.m.

I’m going to try this recipe today. I only wonder whether the red bell peppers can be substituted as I am not a fan of them (although I’m willing to try the authentic recipe as it just looks delicious) I will definitely come back and say my opinion on the prepared meal but I’m sure it’ll be amazing

PUL Team - July 19, 2021, 7:10 a.m.

Hey there, Venelin! Feel free to substitute the red pepper for another vegetable that's enjoyed more or is more accessible. Let us know how it goes 😃

Venelin Pendev - July 21, 2021, 8:12 p.m.

Hi, I made it and it was extremely delicious. I think I used a bit too much vinegar so it turned a bit too sour for my taste but it was great. That’s the first recipe I do from your site and I’ll definitely try out more. Also, thanks for the Info. 😊


Céline - July 10, 2021, 10:58 p.m.

I like it! And I started using the black bean garlic sauce frequently for spontanous meals.


Brianne - July 9, 2021, 6:56 a.m.

In the video you say rice vinegar, but on the ingredient list it says rice wine vinegar. Is there a difference and does it matter which one I use? Thank you so much

PUL Team - July 13, 2021, 7:11 a.m.

Hey Brianne, thanks for pointing that out! It was a recipe input error on our end - rice vinegar is the correct one to use here 😊 I hope this helps for now, and thank you again! 🤗


Cris S - June 5, 2021, 4:03 p.m.

Another amazing nourish bowl! :D


Zee - June 4, 2021, 1:47 a.m.

I have been eyeing this recipe to make but can't get black bean garlic sauce in my grocery store. Can I substitute with anything or make this sauce at home from scratch?

PUL Team - June 5, 2021, 8:53 p.m.

A wonderful question Zee, and thank you for your patience as we're catching up on website comments! We'd suggest using hoisin sauce or trying another type of bean sauce, such as chilli black bean sauce. You may be able to find them in international grocery stores, the international aisle of larger grocery stores, or online! Alternatively, there appear to be several black bean garlic sauce recipes online which you could try. We hope this helps and happy cooking ✨😃

Zee - June 5, 2021, 9:42 p.m.

Thank you, hope to try one of the options out.


Diane - May 20, 2021, 8:09 p.m.

Delicious recipe! Loved how there is a good amount of plant protein from the tofu and edamame. Didn't have green beans but it was still delicious without. We took red bell pepper and roasted it on the pan, since we don't have the jarred stuff. The flavour of the sauce is delicious! Would make again.

PUL Team - May 22, 2021, 9:26 p.m.

Such wonderful substitutions, Diane! So glad you enjoyed the nourish bowl 😃